Lara Bergen: Sophie the Sweetheart

Mindy’s eyes opened a little. “You’re welcome,” she said curtly.

“So we’re good?” Sophie asked.

Mindy straightened her headband. “Yeah. For now, I guess.”

Sophie spent the rest of the school day being extra-sweet to everyone. But she couldn’t help wondering: Was it enough?

Had she made up for snapping at Mindy? And calling her a name?

On the bus home from school, she asked Kate what she thought. (That was after she brushed off the best seat for Hayley and gave her the pudding cup she’d saved from lunch.)

“Oh, for sure,” Kate told her. “When you sharpened everyone’s pencils? That was sweet! And when you asked the lunch ladies for their delicious meat loaf recipe? Remember? They were so happy they almost cried.” She waggled her eyebrows. “Just stay away from Mindy from now on. Then it’ll be easy to be a sweetheart!”

Kate’s right! Sophie thought.

But by the time she got home, she thought again …

Hmm …

What if the best way to prove she was a sweetheart was to stay close to Mindy … or even act like her friend!

“Good morning, Mindy!” Sophie sang out cheerfully. Mindy had just walked through the classroom door. It was Wednesday — or Be-Extra-Sweet-to-Mindy Day, as Sophie would call it from now on.

“Good morning,” grumbled Mindy. She lifted her pointy chin so she could look down her pointy nose.

Ugh! A little voice spoke up in Sophie’s head. “It’s not worth it! Pick another name!” it warned.

But then another voice said, “You can do this. Don’t give up.” And since it was just a little louder, Sophie listened to that one.

She looked right back at Mindy. “That’s a really nice headband,” she said.

Mindy pulled her headband forward, then pushed it back again. “I know. You should try one sometime.” She went on. “A brush might help, too.”

With that, she strutted off. Sophie forced a grin and watched her go.

“Okay, Mindy!” she called. “That’s great advice. Thank you!”

Eve, who was standing next to her, clearly could not believe her ears or eyes. “Sophie! How can you be so nice when she says stuff like that?” she asked.

Sophie clasped her hands and sighed. “Because I’m a sweetheart,” she replied.

“I don’t get it,” Mia said, joining them. “Remember how she dared you to take that gift from my birthday party? I’m still so mad at her for that. Why aren’t you?”

Sophie shrugged. Oh, she was still mad at Mindy. And she probably would be for the rest of her life. But right now, being Sophie the Sweetheart was a lot more important.

She could tell that Eve and Mia were impressed. Now she hoped they’d tell everyone else! In the meantime, Sophie had to find more ways to be nice to the meanest girl in the class.

Unfortunately, she couldn’t hang up Mindy’s jacket. Or turn in her homework for her. Lily already did those things (and many, many more) for Mindy.

But as soon as Ms. Moffly took attendance, Sophie realized something.

“Lily Lemley?” the teacher called.

No answer.

Aha!

Lily was absent! Maybe Sophie would have more chances to be sweet to Mindy that day after all.

She was determined to take every chance she could get.

“Here, Mindy. I’ll toss that trash for you,” she said after snack.

“Why?” Mindy frowned.

“Why not?” Sophie smiled back.

Later it was time for workstations. That was when the class broke into pairs and picked from things Ms. Moffly called Enriching Activities. Sophie wasn’t sure exactly why she called them that. Yes, they were activities, like writing about pictures and doing science experiments. But they sure hadn’t made Sophie rich at all.

They were supposed to try different subjects each time. And different partners, too. Mindy and Lily always seemed to forget that part. But now that Lily was absent …

“Would you like to be my partner?” Sophie asked Mindy.

“I guess so.” Mindy shrugged.

“Great!” Sophie grinned.

Wow. She’d kind of thought Mindy might make a face and say no.

Sophie looked around. “So … want to do Math Games?” That was her favorite activity.

But Mindy crossed her arms. “We’re doing Computers. I can’t stand Math Games.”

Fine, Sophie grumbled inside. But outside, she smiled and said, “Okay!”

Of course, Sophie knew if they picked Computers, they would have to share a laptop. And Sophie knew what that would mean. Mindy would hog the keyboard the whole time.

And Sophie was right.

Still. She stayed sweet — on the outside.

But on the inside, she was boiling up. By lunchtime, she needed a break. Sophie was happy to sit down with Kate, someone she didn’t have to work to be sweet to!

Then she noticed Mindy coming out of the lunch line — alone. She was holding her tray and looking around. Sophie guessed she wasn’t used to lunch without Lily. Who would find a chair for her and pull it out?

Hmm.

Sophie’s mind started cranking. Maybe this was another chance to be sweet! Should she take it? She didn’t really want to. But then what kind of sweetheart would she be?

“Hey, Kate,” she finally whispered. “Watch this.” Then she waved and raised her voice. She wanted to be sure the whole class heard her call, “Hey, Mindy! Want to sit with us?”

“What are you doing?” Kate’s eyes asked her.

“Don’t worry,” Sophie’s smile said back. She knew Mindy wouldn’t come over. Mindy never sat with them.

But to her surprise — and Kate’s — this time she did.

Mindy walked right up. She sat right down. And she started to eat her turkey dog.

“What are you staring at?” asked Mindy. That was when Sophie realized her jaw had dropped.

At you , she thought. Sitting here with us. And not even telling us how to eat.

“Uh … nothing,” she said out loud. “How’s your turkey dog, Mindy?”

After lunch came recess. And by then, Sophie the Sweetheart was on a roll.

“I can’t believe you cleared Mindy’s tray for her,” Kate said as they walked outside.

Sophie nodded, grinning. “I know. Neither can I! But if I can be that sweet to Mindy, I’m a sweetheart for sure!”

Mindy was already out on the blacktop with Sydney and Grace and the other Sophie in their class, Sophie A. Sophie and Kate usually played other games, but these girls jumped rope every day. And every day, they started with the same old debate about who got to jump first and who had to turn the rope.

“Hey, Kate,” Sophie said. “How about we jump rope today?”

“Okay, sure. But why?”

“Because I just thought of another job for Sophie the Sweetheart,” Sophie whispered back.

They hurried to the jump-rope corner, where Sophie promptly took the rope from Mindy’s hand.

“Hey! What are you doing?” snapped Mindy.

“I’m turning the rope for you!” Sophie said.

She turned the rope the whole time. She didn’t even jump. Not once! Every time her turn came up, she let another girl go for her.

“Are you sure you don’t want to jump?” asked Sydney after several rounds.

Mindy answered for her. “You heard her say she didn’t, which means it’s my turn now.”

She stepped up to the rope and Sophie started turning again. Sophie A. held the other end.

“Higher!” Mindy ordered.

“I’m trying,” Sophie told her. And really, she was. But her arm was so heavy and sore now, she could hardly lift it up. It was really starting to burn, like a thousand tiny dragons were inside, breathing fire.